How do i know if I have PPD?

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Cynthia - posted on 07/28/2011

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One way would be to farm the kids out for one night so you can get a decent nights sleep, if you wake unrefreshed, go see your doctor, you can rule out any other problems. Make sure your diet is up to snuff with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to restock the bodies supples of vitamins and minerals which are depleted by pregnancy especially so in your case, your pharmacist can recommend a good supplement to take if you explain your situation. Lie down and nap when ever your children do, and get a routine established if you haven't managed to do so as of yet. Bedtime prep with your kids should start a couple of hours before they need to be in bed, with baths, teethcleaning, setting out clothes for the next day, story time, or song time, a small bedtime snack and small drink, a diaper change, a kiss and a good night. Remember during this time its best to shut off the television and or radio if dad is regularly around during this time he should be involved in the supervision, this builds early bonds of love and respect between children and parents showing you are united in your methods. the last ten minutes you should each have one on one with each child,. Use your routine to sooth your children into a sleeping state of mind, keep your lights low, Black out curtains if you live where the sun is still up after 9 in the evening. Wait at least fifteen minutes before sitting down for your last tv show of the evening, and keep regular sleep hours yourself as much as possible. If you find it hard to get a routine established, if you feel sad, all the time, or angry all the time or are always yelling at your children and dissatified, you could be suffering from post partum depression, If you feel you want to hurt your children or are actually hurting them get help immediately, Call a friend, parent, neighbour, or spouse and have them look after you children while you go to the hospital, TELL someone near to you don't become a statistic. there is help out there.I've included two links with ppd checklists, If you live in a community with access to a health unit such as in the UK, Canada, NZ, etc these are good places to start if you have mild to moderate symptoms. Which I am supposing you do, since more severe symptoms should send you to your local Emergency room. ,http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?...

Signs and symptoms of the baby blues — which last only a few days or weeks — may include:

Mood swings

Anxiety

Sadness

Irritability

Crying

Decreased concentration

Trouble sleeping

Postpartum depression symptoms

Postpartum depression may appear to be the baby blues at first — but the signs and symptoms are more intense and longer lasting, eventually interfering with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks. Postpartum depression symptoms may include:

Loss of appetite

Insomnia

Intense irritability and anger

Overwhelming fatigue

Loss of interest in sex

Lack of joy in life

Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy

Severe mood swing

Difficulty bonding with the baby

Withdrawal from family and friends

Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby

Untreated, postpartum depression may last for a year or more.

Postpartum psychosis

With postpartum psychosis — a rare condition that typically develops within the first two weeks after delivery — the signs and symptoms are even more severe. Signs and symptoms of postpartum psychosis may include:

Confusion and disorientation

Hallucinations and delusions

Paranoia

Attempts to harm yourself or the baby

When to see a doctor

If you're feeling depressed after your baby's birth, you may be reluctant or embarrassed to admit it. But it's important to call your doctor if the signs and symptoms of depression:

Don't fade after two weeks

Are getting worse

Make it hard for you to care for your baby

Make it hard to complete everyday tasks

Include thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

Getting early treatment for postpartum depression can speed your recovery.

If you suspect that you're developing postpartum psychosis, seek medical attention immediately. Don't wait and hope for improvement. Postpartum psychosis may lead to life-threatening thoughts or behaviors.

I've been battling it some since the birth of my third child 5 1/2 months ago. The worst are the mood swings...bless my partner's heart for putting up with me some times!! :)

Exercise and diet has been what has worked for me. No more coffee, diet soda, junk food, or processed foods. We eat three good meals a day and I add in some nutrition snacks like yogurt, nuts, fruits, or cheese.

Jennnifer, my oldest is 7 yrs, then 18 mth old daughter and 3 month old son, after him things really went downhill. I hope celexa does you good, but with my paranoia/anxiety I find it impossible to take any rx's. Im afraid of side effects( read the fine print if you dare, its scary) I hope talk therapy will help me. Im interested to hear what youre symptoms/feelings are.

You've done the right thing, by calling a therapist. I've been dealing with this since the birth of my 4th child 10 months ago. I just finally saw my doc about it Mon and she put me on Celexa. I'm really hoping it helps, because it horrible when you don't feel like yourself.